Another step in my completion of the Well-Tempered Clavier. Almost there now. BWV 866 I had posted some months ago but I was not satisfied with it. This time I made myself create a video of it too: http://youtu.be/ok6KwH-F_CM

866 is an improvement and worth the re-recording. The declamatory sections are more declamatory (in the prelude). The fugue theme's phrasing is very attractive and is consistent across voices (which is quite a trick IMHO). I'm familiar with this pair and was very pleased. I'm not sure I've heard that exact phrasing before; I like it.

I'm not as familiar with the B-flat minor, but it sounds fine. Don't have time for the b-minor tonight but will get to it later.

Thanks for checking these out Stu. They're probably my best Bach recordings so far. Should be, with the great pains I've taken over them.Especially BWV688 which I wanted to video so it had to be at least note perfect. Luckily one never gets really fed up with any Bach piece - but I was getting close here

The trouble with Bach is that you can never play it well enough. Does there even exist such a thing as well enough ? Certainly not in this repertoire. One can only keep chipping at it and hope to get better. Recording the WTC is frustrating and uplifting in equal measure.

You played the B major prelude really well (though it would have been better if you joined the E# in the top voice with the next F at 0:20.) For the fugue, the thing that jarred me the most was the bass B at 2:19, which felt a bit too loud, followed by a bit of detachedness after that (nit-picking), but for the most part the comforting cascade of the descending counter-subjects shone through. All in all, it's a really really serene pair (my favourite of book I actually), and it was a joy listening to your performance.

For the Bb major pair, you have rather unique phrasing as Stu has mentioned. Think in the prelude you could have extended the top A at 0:24 a bit longer to follow on your preceding phrasing. The fugue was really cool; I always had troubles with finger-independence for this one and you seem to have little problems in putting in on the little details (especially on the second half of the subject in its various appearances). If I were to nitpick again, the section from 2:30-2:35 sounds a bit laboured however, with the bottom two voices being stickier than in the rest of the fugue? Also the f at 2:50 sounds a bit artificial and jarring. But again, these are minor details.

Thanks for your perceptive comments Jon. Listening back I hear plenty of imperfections myself, notes that are too weak of too loud, and voicing that could have been better. This music seems to get more difficult the better one gets at it. I'll probably want to re-record the entire WTC once again in the future... One is just never done with it.

I had a listen to your redo, I think it sounds a lot cleaner than the first which IIRC you said had some trouble with keys rebounding. So close but yet so far, eh? Didn't Horowitz say something like perfection is imperfection? So just be glad you're not perfect!

_________________"I don't know what music is, but I know it when I hear it." - Alan SchuylerRiley Tucker

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